Lock device for coupling means

ABSTRACT

Lock device for an electrical connector or the like including a coupling ring mounted on one shell and threaded onto another shell to hold the shells together. A rotatable lockring is provided for actuating lock means to prevent rotation of the coupling ring relative to the one shell. The lock means preferably includes an arcuate cantilever member having a cam surface engaged by a pin on the lockring to engage tooth means on the member with the one shell. The lockring is rotated in the direction of the coupling ring rotation and visual, audible and feel indicators shown when the lockring is in its locking position.

United States Patent 0 NW 99 33 .33, wt 0 rm me n eul TB 0] 56 99 ll 4186 31- 98 20 23 m a m K n w JH o t n e v n l n 7 .l

OTHER REFERENCES IBM Technical Disclosure Bulletin, l2/l958- M. C.Panaro.

211 AppLNo. 794,547 221 Filed Jan. 28, 1969 Vol. 1, No. 4, pg, l5,

S m m n E m M o G C m L m w 0 muck C R u u m 0 8M F E u Am o M 3 D MA wmm a Primary Examiner-Ian A. Calvert Assistant ExaminerJ0seph H. McGlynnAn0rneyFrederick M. Arbuckle ABSTRACT: Lock device for an electricalconnector or the 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figs.

like including a coupling ring mounted on one shell and [56] ReferencesCited UNITED STATES PATENTS 12/1955 Quackenbush et al.

rotation and visual, audible and feel indicators shown when the lockringis in its locking position.

LOCK DEVICE FOR COUPLING MEANS This invention relates to a lock devicefor coupling means and more particularly to a lock device which does notinterfere with the operation of coupling means and which can be operatedat a position of coupling means. The lock device is comparatively simpleand yet rugged in construction, is readily operated and is highlyreliable.

This invention was evolved with the general object of providing animproved lock device for an electrical connector of the type including acoupling ring mounted on one shell and threaded onto another shell tohold the shells together, mating electrical contacts being supported bydielectric members within the shells. Locking devices have heretoforebeen proposed for such electrical connectors, to lock the coupling meansin position. Such locking devices have required alignment of splines,and have not been as readily operated or as rugged and reliable as wouldbe desirable. It will be understood that although the lock device isspecifically designed for, electrical connectors, principles andfeatures of the invention have application to other types of devices ofequivalent nature.

' According to an important feature of the invention, locking means areoperative between the coupling ring and one of the shells to preventrelative rotation thereof and a lockring is rotatably mounted relativeto the coupling ring and is arranged to actuate the locking means to alocking position when rotated in one direction.

Preferably, the lockring is arranged to actuate the locking means to itslocking position when rotated in one direction to a certain positionrelative to the coupling ring, and indicia means are provided on thelockring and the coupling ring and are aligned when the locking means isin its locking position.

Additional features relate to the provision of means for emitting anaudible sound and means for indicating by feel when the locking means isactuated.

According to another feature, the coupling ring is rotated in onedirection to move the shells together and the lockring is rotatable inthe same direction to actuate the locking means.

According to a further feature of the invention, the locking meanscomprises a lock member carried by the coupling ring and having toothmeans arranged to be moved radially inwardly into engagement with anouter surface of one shell. Preferably, the lock member is in the formof an arcuately extending member having one end portion secured to thecoupling ring and having the tooth means on the other end portionthereof with a cam surface portion being formed on the outer surface ofthe member and with a pin carried by the lockring for engaging the camsurface.

With the lock device of this invention, no alignment of splines isrequired, the lockring does not interfere with operation of the couplingring and a visual lock indicator as well as audible and feel lockindicators are provided. Although comparatively simple in construction,the lock device is very rugged and reliable and it is readily operated.

This invention contemplates other objects, features and advantages whichwill become more fully apparent from the following detailed descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings which illustrate apreferred embodiment and in which:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of an electrical connectorincorporating a locking device according to the principles of thisinvention;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged scale, takensubstantially along line ll-ll of FIG, 1;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to a portion ofFIG. 2, but illustrating an unlocked position of parts; and

FIG. 4 is a partial cross-sectional view taken substantially along linelV--IV of FIG. 2.

Reference numeral generally designates an electrical connectorincorporating a locking device in accordance with the principles of thisinvention. The connector 10 comprises a receptacle shell 1 l and a plugshell 12 which carry therewithin a pair ofdielectric members whichsupport pairs of mating electrical contacts, the contacts beingconnected to wires 13 and 14.

To connect the plug and receptacle shells 11 and 12, a coupling ring 16is provided which, for convenience in manufacture, is formed from tworings 17 and 18 which are staked or otherwise rigidly connectedtogether. The ring 17 is internally threaded to be screwed onto anexternally threaded portion 19 of the receptacle shell 12. The ring 17also includes an inwardly extending annular flange 20, one surface ofwhich abuts the end surface of the shell 12 when the connector isassembled. The opposite surface of the flange 20, before assembly of theplug and receptacle shells, is engaged with one surface of a retainerring 21 which extends into an annular groove 22 in the plug shell 11.The opposite surface of the retainer ring 21 is engaged at angularlyspaced points by a wave spring 23 which also engages an inwardlyextending annular shoulder 24'formed on the ring 18.

In assembly of the connector, the receptacle shell 11 is I moved to aposition in which a key 25 formed on the outer surface thereof isaligned with an axially extending keyway 26 in the inner surface of theplug shell 12, it being noted that additional keys and keyways may beprovided. After such alignment, the coupling ring 16 is rotated relativeto the plug shell 12 and through the coaction of the threaded portions,the coupling ring 16 is moved axially until the surface of the flange 20engages the end surface of the plug shell 12. Before such engagement, adielectric contact-support member within the plug shell 11 may engage asimilar dielectric member within the plug shell 12 and the wave springmay be compressed to exert a certain pressure between the dielectricmembers, with a small spacing between the flange 20 and the retainerring 21.

According to this invention, a lock device generally designated byreference numeral 28 is provided for. locking the coupling ring 16 in afixed position relative to the receptacle shell 11 and thereby in afixed position relative to the plug shell 12. The lock device 28prevents the coupling ring 16 from turning in a disengaging directionunder the influence of shocks, vibrations and the like.

The lock device 28 comprises locking means which includes an arcuatelyextending member 30 which is disposed between facing surfaces 31 and 32of the ring 18. The surface 31 and the previously described surface 24,are on opposite sides of an inwardly extending flange portion 33 of thering 18. The surface 32 is on the inner side of an end portion 34 of thering 18. The flange 33 and the end portion 34' are integrallyinterconnected by portions 35 and 36 as shown in FIG. 2, the portion 35having an arcuate extent of approximately and the portion 36 having anarcuate extent of approximately 60.

The arcuately extending locking member 30 may be considered as havingtwo portions 37 and 38, the portion 38 having an arcuate extent ofapproximately 180 and having inwardly extending shoulders 39 and 40engaged with the opposite ends of the portion 35 so as to be secured tothe coupling ring 16. The portion 38 is formed with inwardly extendingtooth means, consisting of two teeth 41 in the illustrated arrangement,which are engageable with the outer sur-- face of a flange portion 42,of the plug shell 1 l. Preferably, the outer surface of the flange 42 isgrooved or serrated to facilitate obtaining a locking engagement withthe teeth 41.

To actuate the locking member 38, a lock ringz44 is provided which isrotatably mounted on the end portion 34 of the ring 18 by means of aretainer ring 45 extending into a groove in the inner surface of thelockring 44 and a groove in the outer surface of the end portion 34. Thelockring 44 has a recess 46 into which an outer part of the portion 38of the locking member 30 extends. A wear pin 47 is carried by thelockring 44 and extends into the recess 46, the pin 47 being arranged toengage a cam surface portion 48 of theouter surface of the portion 38 ofthe locking member 30.

In an inoperative condition of the locking device 28, the parts are in aposition as shown in FIG. 3, it being noted that counterclockwiserotation of the lockring 44 is limited by en- 7 gagement of a shoulder49 at one end of the recess 46 with a terminal end 50 of the lockingmember 30. In this position, the pin 47 is not engaged with the camsurface portion 48 and the form of the locking member 30 before assemblyis such that the teeth 41 are positioned outwardly away from the outersurface portion of the flange 42 of the shell 11. When the lockring 44is rotated in a clockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, the pin47 engages the cam surface portion 48 to bend the portion 38 of thelocking member 30 and to move the teeth 41 inwardly into engagement withthe outer surface of the flange 42 of the plug shell 11. At the end ofsuch movement, the pin 47 moves into a recessed surface portion 51,positioned inwardly slightly closer to the axis of the connector thanthe end of the cam surface portion 48, and further movement is limitedby engagement of the pin 47 with an outwardly extending surface portion52.

The portion 38 of the locking member 30 thus operates as a cantilever,the actuating force being applied at an intermediate point.

When the teeth 41 engage the outer surface of the flange 42 and the pin47 moves into the recess 51, an audible sound is produced indicating tothe operator that the lockring is in its operative position and theoperator can also readily feel that the operative position has beenreached. in addition, visual means are provided for indicating that thelockring is in its operative position. In particular, the lockring 44has an outwardly projecting portion 54 which is aligned with a recess 55in theouter surface of the ring 18. If desired, additional projectingportions 56-60 may be provided in equiangularly spaced relation andaligned with recesses 61-65 in the ring 18 so that the alignment can beseen from any angle of view and also to improve gripping effectiveness.The outer surfaces of the projecting portions 54 and 56-60 may begrooved or knurled, if desired.

It will be noted that the locking device 28 may be operated at anyposition of the coupling ring 16 and that in the inoperative position ofthe lockring 28, there is no interference with operation of the couplingring 16. It is also noted that the lockring 44 is moved in a clockwisedirection to move from an inoperative position as shown in FIG. 2 to anoperative position as shown in FIG. 3, which is the same direction inwhich the coupling ring 16 is rotated to bring the plug and receptacleshells together. This is a distinct advantage in both the connect anddisconnect operations. If the lockring 44 is inadvertently placed in itsoperative position when the operator attempts to rotate the couplingring 16 to bring the plug and receptacle shells together, theapplication of sufficient force to the coupling ring 16 can cause thelocking member 30 to be moved relative to the lockring 44 such that thepin 47 is effectively moved out of the recess 51 and into engagementwith the cam surface 48 to move the lockring 44 to its inoperativeposition, so as not to interfere with further movement of the couplingring 16. In the disconnect operation, when the operator grasps both thecoupling ring 16 and the lockring 44 and attempts to rotate them in thecounterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGS. 2 and 3, the lockring 44is more readily moved and is readily placed in its inoperative position,after which the coupling ring 16 may be rotated.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be effectedwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the novel concepts ofthis invention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an electrical connector or the like including a pair of shells anda coupling ring rotatably mounted on one of said shells and arranged tobe threaded on the other of said shells to move and hold said shellstogether, locking means operative between said coupling ring and saidone of said shells to prevent relative rotation thereof, and a lockring,said locking means comprising a lock member carried by said couplingring and having tooth means arranged to be moved radially inwardly intoengagement with an outer surface portion of said one of said shells.

2. In an electrical connector or the like as defined in claim 1, saidlock member being in the form of an arcuately extending member havingone end portion secured to said coupling ring and having said toothmeans on the other end portion thereof with a cam surface portion beingformed in the outer surface of said other end portion of said arcuatelyextending lock member, and a pin carried by said lockring for engagingsaid cam surface to move said tooth means radially inwardly intoengagement with said outer surface portion of said one of said shells.

3. In an electrical connector or the like as defined in claim 2, saidlockring being in surrounding relation to said lock member and having arecess in its inner surface for receiving said other end portion of saidlock member, said recess being terminated at one end with a stopshoulder engageable by an end of said lock member to limit rotationalmovement of said lockring in a releasing direction opposite said onedirection.

1. In an electrical connector or the like including a pair of shells anda coupling ring rotatably mounted on one of said shells and arranged tobe threaded on the other of said shells to move and hold said shellstogether, locking means operative between said coupling ring and saidone of said shells to prevent relative rotation thereof, and a lockring,said locking means comprising a lock member carried by said couplingring and having tooth means arranged to be moved radially inwardly intoengagement with an outer surface portion of said one of said shells. 2.In an electrical connector or the like as defined in claim 1, said lockmember being in the form of an arcuately extending member having one endportion secured to said coupling ring and having said tooth means on theother end portion thereof with a cam surface portion being formed in theouter surface of said other end portion of said arcuately extending lockmember, and a pin carried by said lockring for engaging said cam surfaceto move said tooth means radially inwardly into engagement with saidouter surface portion of said one of said shells.
 3. In an electricalconnector or the like as defined in claim 2, said lockring being insurrounding relation to said lock member and having a recess in itsinner surface for receiving said other end portion of said lock member,said recess being terminated at one end with a stop shoulder engageableby an end of said lock member to limit rotational movement of saidlockring in a releasing direction opposite said one direction.